Blood Rhythm
by dharkcharlotte
Summary: Satisfaction washed through Sam at her words. News about Alistair hadn’t reached her yet and since Ruby hadn’t known, Lilith didn’t either.


Title: **Blood Rhythm**

Author: dhark_charlotte  
Fandoms: Supernatural  
Rating: Gen  
Warnings: Everything through the current episode  
Summary: Satisfaction washed through Sam at her words. News about Alistair hadn't reached her yet and since Ruby hadn't known, Lilith didn't either.

Disclaimer: This story is intended for entertainment purposes only and provides absolutely no financial compensation. Recognizable characters belong to their prospective owners/writers. Some lines from the show are used either as is or altered to fit the story.

Distribution: Ask

"Ohhh, poor widdle Sammy. Just can't win. All of that hard work… searching the countryside, working with the angels. Such effort for so little return. Thanks for the amusement though, it was fun." She stroked her hands over the stolen body and purred. "This one is just as nice as the last one. Ruby has such good taste in bodies doesn't she, Sammy?"

Sam couldn't see Dean from his angle, but he could hear muffled cursing drifting over the partially crumbled wall and stifled a smirk. He needed to remember patience. It wouldn't do to give the plan away, not after what they'd gone through to get Lilith into this position.

Lilith stamped her foot. "Hey! Pay attention!"

Dean's agonized scream snapped Sam's full attention back to Lilith and he snarled. "You fucking let him go! Or I'll…" Come on… take the bait…

Lilith sauntered closer and Sam clenched his hands. "You'll what?" The sneer was ugly on her face. "His contract is still mine. You can't take it from me and we both know that you don't have the juice to take me down."

Satisfaction washed through Sam at her words. News about Alistair hadn't reached her yet and since Ruby hadn't known, Lilith didn't either.

She snickered and bounced a little, looking like a little girl for a moment. "Besides, I think Dean's body would make the perfect vessel for the Morning Star, don't you?" She saw the expression on Sam's face and pouted. "Awww, don't be that way, Sam. Dean's so very pretty." She sighed and Sam knew it was coming, the offer he'd been waiting for. "Then again… a willing vessel would be so much better and I'd release Dean if you agreed to take his place."

Sam let out a laugh and she scowled. Dean screamed again and Sam took a step forward, raising his hand palm facing her.

She coughed suddenly. "What are you doing?" Lilith took a small step backward and then stopped, a nasty sneer marring her face again. "You're just going to piss me off and make it worse for Dean you know."

"You know, Lilith, for such a bad ass, ancient demon, you don't seem to be very intelligent." Dean screamed again and Sam winced inwardly, sending his brother a silent apology. "Just for the record, I reject your offer and deny your claim on my brother. You say that you like this body Ruby found and I agree that it's very attractive, but did you examine it at all before or after you took it?"

Lilith gaped it him for a moment as she processed his refusal and then frowned again as she thought about his question, looking down for moment before sneering at him again. "There's no brand to anchor her in, otherwise I couldn't have taken it."

Sam snorted. "Of course not. Ruby's not stupid and she learns from mistakes. Meg was a good example of what not to do…" He grabbed Lilith with his power and slammed her into the wall. Her scream was echoed by Dean's ragged voice and Sam searched with his connection, quickly finding the tendril of power connecting Dean to Lilith and clamped down viciously; closing his brother off from the demon. Dean's scream tapered off until only pained breathing could be heard. Sam moved in close, stopping an arm's length away to calmly look into Lilith's wild eyes. He saw the difference. There was nothing of Ruby left inside this body.

*~*

**48 hours earlier…**

"I found it!"

Sam looked up from the pile of musty tomes that surrounded his laptop to see Ruby holding a sheet of paper. The page trembled slightly and Sam frowned. "What?"

"I found the runes we were looking for. If the tattoo is set in this configuration and we use your blood in the ink, then it should fit all of the parameters of the trap we're trying to create." She bit her lip and Sam knew she was holding something back. She didn't know it, but he could tell the difference between her pretending to be scared and when she was really frightened. He waited for her to look him in the eye and folded his arms. She swallowed and dropped her gaze. "You'd have to dose up again and…"

He frowned, anger flaring up to counteract the hunger that rose suddenly at the mention of feeding from her again. It would have to be the last time. Sam snorted at that thought, knowing that most addicts told themselves that lie. The difference was that it really would be the last time because Dean would definitely flip out when he discovered what Sam had been doing to boost his powers and there was no way that his brother would accept it if Sam didn't stop.

"What else?"

"I might not make it back."

"What do you mean?"

"If we use our combined blood as the binding in the tattoo there's a big chance that I might not make it back."

The hunger in the pit of his stomach roared at that news and Sam buried it with little thought. "How do you know that?"

"I said there's a chance Sam. But it's a pretty big one considering that you'll be using our blood connection to kill her. It's not too big a stretch of the imagination to realize that destruction could include me." She swallowed and then met his eyes with a steady gaze. We'll need to do this tonight because she'll be ready for us and I don't think Dean will last very long under her care."

*~*

**Now…**

Sam ignored a flash of regret. Ruby had known the probable outcome of this confrontation and had accepted her role willingly.

He kept his voice low and even so Lilith would have to strain to hear. He doubted Dean was in any condition to listen in, but he didn't want to take a chance. The big explanation needed to happen later, when his brother was safe.

"So, you didn't notice any tattoos?" Sam curled his fingers slightly, exerting a little more pressure and her eyes rolled up until the irises disappeared. Freaking creepy. Her feet began to kick and Sam sent out another tendril of power to hold her completely still. After all, it was only fair that she felt completely helpless as he ripped her apart.

"It's amazing what you can create using the internet and arcane knowledge from a centuries old witch. I'm only sharing this with you because there's no way out for you." Sam could feel her mounting terror and clamped down on the rush of pleasure it created in him. He might have to make use of the demon fueled power, but he wouldn't allow it to take over. He shook his head and smiled grimly. "A customized Aegishjalmar runic tattoo, utilizing seven specific arcane runes, four of which were bonded to Ruby's essence. The remaining three were designated as your prison to hold you long enough for me to do this."

Sam pushed, sending out his power into the body, wrapping it around the infection that filled it and then wrenched with brutal force. Lilith screamed, trying desperately to flee from the body and when that didn't work, she attempted to remain. Sam spread his fingers wide for a moment and then closed them in a fist, twisting as he pulled back. Her oily, smoky essence writhed in his grasp and he grimaced with exertion. He'd burned Alistair out with the heat of his anger; Lilith got the searing cold he'd found deep inside after the tattooing ritual had been completed. Her death scream shattered the only remaining window and Sam slumped when the resistance disappeared, bracing his hands on his knees to avoid a tumble to the dirty floor. That had been both harder and quicker than he'd been expecting.

A muffled groan brought Sam back to the present and he stumbled around the far side of the wall to find Dean trussed up like a turkey. He was barely conscious when Sam finally got him untied and he stumbled to the car with most of his weight supported by Sam. The blood leaking from Dean's ear was a concern and they ended up in the local ER for the second time in two months and Dean was once again poked and prodded and IV'ed. Sam felt Castiel enter the room and looked up at him with as little reaction as possible. Considering he was bone weary, it wasn't too difficult.

"Lilith?"

"Destroyed."

"Did she present you with the offer to…"

"Give myself as a willing vessel to Lucifer? Yeah she did and I turned her down. She's completely gone so we don't have to worry about her popping back up again."

"And… Ruby?"

Sam felt his throat close up and he swallowed hard, looking down at his clasped hands as his knuckles turned white.

"I think she's gone too."

**End**


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